Staff Profile

Areas of Expertise

Paediatric Neurosurgery

Epilepsy Surgery

Functional Neuro-oncology

Degenerative Spinal Disease

Research interests include tumour associated epilepsy, traumatic brain injury and in the application of quantitative MR imaging in neurosurgery

Qualifications

2015 FRCS Edinburgh (Neuro.Surg)

2012 MD (Newcastle University)

2006 MRCS Edinburgh

2002 MB BS (Newcastle University)

Current Appointments

Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne

Consultant Adult Neurosurgeon, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne

Honorary Associate Fellow of Faculty Medical Sciences, Newcastle University

Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer, Newcastle University

Member, Question writing panel in Intercollegiate Specialty Examination in Neurosurgery

Examiner, Medical School, Newcastle University

Member, Specialty Training Committee in Neurosurgery, Health Education England (North East)

Previous Appointments

Fellow in Paediatric Neurosurgery and Epilepsy Surgery, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

Chair of the British Neurosurgical Trainees' Association

Management Committee member, British Neurosurgical Trainee Research Collaborative

Ex-Officio Council Member of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons

Memberships

Society of British Neurological Surgeons

Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery

British Paediatric Neurosurgery Group

Google Scholar: Click Here

I undertook my MD with Prof. Blamire at Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre (NMRC) entitled "Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in traumatic brain injury".

My current research interests lie in epilepsy, paediatric neurosurgery and advanced MR imaging in neurosurgery.

I am currently collaborating on projects within the Biosciences Institute and the Translational and Clinical Research Institute and am chief investigator for work on ex-vivo human tissue cortical slice analysis, as well as being neurosurgical liaison for the CANDO project.

I am supervisor for PhD and MRes students. 

• Articles

  • Wilson MA, Sumera A, Taylor LW, Meftah S, McGeachan RI, Modebadze T, Jayasekera BAP, Cowie CJA, LeBeau FEN, Liaquat I, Durrant CS, Brennan PM, Booker SA. Phylogenetic divergence of GABAB receptor signalling in neocortical networks over adult life. nature communications 2025, 16, 4194.
  • Paranathala MP, Jaiser S, Hussain MA, Mirallave-Pescador A, Cowie CJA, Baker MR, Holliman D, Fry CA. In-House Intraoperative Monitoring in Neurosurgery in England - Benefits and Challenges. Journal of Medical Systems 2024, 48, 24.
  • Shillitoe B, Cowie CJA, Misgar H, Pareja-Cebrian L, Williams E. Spontaneous Clostridium perfringens Meningitis and Brain Abscess in a Neonate. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal 2023, 42(12), 1121-1123.
  • Kehoe K, Sivaguru H, Coulter I, Cowie C. Delay in the diagnosis of paediatric brain tumours: a systematic review. Child's Nervous System 2023, 39, 2053-2063.
  • Pitsika M, Fletcher J, Coulter IC, Cowie CJA. A validation study of the modified Canadian Preoperative Prediction Rule for Hydrocephalus in children with posterior fossa tumors. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics 2021, 28(2), 121-127.
  • da Silva NM, Cowie C, Blamire AM, Forsyth R, Taylor PN. Investigating brain network changes and their association with cognitive recovery after Traumatic Brain Injury: a longitudinal analysis. Frontiers Neurology 2020, 11, 369.
  • Dobson GM, Dalton AK, Nicholson CL, Jenkins AJ, Mitchell PB, Cowie CJA. CT scan exposure in children with ventriculo-peritoneal shunts: single centre experience and review of the literature. Child's Nervous System 2020, 36, 591-599.
  • Jones A, Barker-Haliski M, Ilie AS, Herd MB, Baxendale S, Holdsworth CJ, Ashton J-P, Placzek M, Jayasekera BAP, Cowie CJA, Lambert JJ, Trevelyan AJ, White HS, Marson AG, Cunliffe VT, Sills GJ, Morgan A. A multiorganism pipeline for antiseizure drug discovery: Identification of chlorothymol as a novel γ-aminobutyric acidergic anticonvulsant. Epilepsia 2020, 61(10), 2106-2118.
  • Cowie CJA, Pesic-Smith J, Dambatta S, Gholkar A, Surash S, Jenkins A, Mitchell P. Minimally invasive neurosurgical access techniques to facilitate endovascular treatment of dural arteriovenous fistulae. British Journal of Neurosurgery 2015, 29(1), 115-117.
  • Dobson G, Cowie CJA, Holliman D. Epidural abscess with associated spondylodiscitis following prostatic biopsy. The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England 2015, 97(5), e81-e82.
  • Croall ID, Cowie CJA, He J, Peel A, Wood J, Aribisala B, Mitchell P, Mendelow AD, Smith FE, Millar D, Kelly T, Blamire AM. White matter correlates of cognitive dysfunction after mild traumatic brain injury. Neurology 2014, 83(6), 494-501.
  • Kolias AG, Bulters D, Cowie CJA, Wilson M, Afshari FT, Helmy A, Broughton E, Joannides A, Zebian B, Harrisson S, Hill CS, Ahmed A, Barone DG, Thakur B, McMahon C, Adlam DM, Bentley RP, Tolias C, Mitchell P, Whitfield P, Critchley GR, Belli A, Brennan PM, Hutchinson P. Proposal for establishment of the UK Cranial Reconstruction Registry (UKCRR). British Journal of Neurosurgery 2014, 28(3), 310-314.
  • Coulter IC, Kolias AG, Marcus HJ, Ahmed AI, Alli S, Al-Mahfoudh R, Borg A, Cowie CJA, Hill CS, Joannides AJ, Jones TL, Kailaya-Vasan A, Livermore JL, Narayanamurthy H, Ngoga D, Shapey J, Tarnaris A, Gregson B, Gray L, Nelson R, Hutchinson PJ, Brennan PM. Proposal for a prospective multi-centre audit of chronic subdural haematoma management in the United Kingdom and Ireland. British Journal of Neurosurgery 2014, 28(2), 199-203.
  • Cowie CJA, Cunningham MO. Peritumoral epilepsy: Relating form and function for surgical success. Epilepsy & Behavior 2014, 38, 53-61.
  • Kolias A, Coulter I, Cowie C, Tarnaris A, Hutchinson P, Brennan P. Collaborative Research Networks: the way forward for clinical neurosciences research?. Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation 2014, 13(7), 22-23.
  • Aribisala BS, Cowie CJA, He JB, Wood J, Mendelow DA, Mitchell P, Blamire AM. A Histogram-Based Similarity Measure for Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Application in Acute Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Computer Assisted Tomography 2014, 38(6), 915-923.
  • Mukerji N, Vergani F, Hassan F, Dubois J, Metcalfe S, Cowie C, Mitchell P. Using telephone logs instead of databases to accurately estimate neurosurgical on-call workload. British Journal of Neurosurgery 2013, 27(3), 344-347.
  • Reay E, Aarvold A, Ardolino T, Cowie C. Return to work programmes. The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh: Surgeons' News 2013, 44-45.
  • Cowie CJA, Pešić-Smith JD, Boukas A, Nelson RJ, British Neurosurgical Trainees’ Association. Has the impact of the working time regulations changed neurosurgical trainees’ attitudes towards the European working time directive 5 years on?. British Journal of Neurosurgery 2013, 27(5), 580-585.
  • Kolias AG, Jones TL, Cowie CJ, Coulter IC, Afshari FT, Tarnaris A, Nelson RJ, Gray WP, Hutchinson PJ, Brennan PM. A report from the inaugural meeting of the British Neurosurgical Trainee Research Collaborative held in the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 19 October 2012. British Journal of Neurosurgery 2013, 27(3), 307-310.
  • Boukas A, Panaretos P, Cowie C, Nicholson C, Jenkins A. Congenital Glioblastoma Multiforme: Complete Resection with Long-Term Survival and a Novel Technique of Contralateral Cystoventriculostomy. Pediatric Neurosurgery 2012, 48(5), 327-330.
  • Aribisala BS, Cowie CJA, He J, Wood J, Mendelow AD, Mitchell P, Blamire AM. Multi-parametric Classification of Traumatic Brain Injury Patients Using Automatic Analysis of Quantitative MRI Scans. Medical Imaging and Augmented Reality. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (Medical Imaging and Augmented Reality) 2010, 6326, 51-59.

• Book Chapter

  • Goode PN, Sweenie AC, Cowie CJA, Hastie HE. Head Trauma. In: Driscoll PA; Skinner DV; Goode PN, ed. ABC of Major Trauma: Rescue, Resuscitation with Imaging, and Rehabilitation. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2022, pp.115-136.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Paranathala M, Jaiser S, Holliman D, Hussain A, Mirallave-Pescador A, Cowie C, Baker M, Fry C. In-house intraoperative monitoring in neurosurgery in England - benefits and challenges. In: Proceedings of the 2024 Spring Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons. 2024, Edinburgh: Taylor & Francis.
  • Jayasekera BAP, Parikh J, Walsh D, Modbadze T, Blamire A, Cunningham M, LeBeau F, Cowie C. Glutamate in glioma-related seizures. In: 2023 spring meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons. 2024, London: Taylor & Francis.
  • Giannakaki V, Grant J, Cowie C. Current challenges in neurosurgical training in the UK and viable solutions for improvement. In: Proceedings of the 2023 spring meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons. 2024, London: Taylor & Francis.
  • Al-Ali B, Paranathala M, Cowie C, Emonts M, Coulter I. Brain abscess size positively correlates with the number of surgical interventions required - a ten-year single-centre experience. In: 2024 Spring Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons. 2024, Edinburgh: Taylor & Francis.
  • Ferguson L, Pitsika M, Kehoe K, Coulter I, Cowie C. Short and Long-Term outcomes of post-natal repair of myelomeningocoeles: a UK case series. In: 28th Congress of the European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ESPN) Rome-Italy, 7-10 May 2023. Childs Nerv Syst 39. 2023, Rome, Italy: Springer.
  • Kehoe K, Pitsika M, Ferguson L, Coulter I, Cowie C. Patterns and Outcomes in Relapsed Paediatric Intracranial Ependymoma: A Single Centre 20-year Experience. In: 28th Congress of the European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ESPN) Rome-Italy, 7-10 May 2023. Childs Nerv Syst 39. 2023, Springer.
  • Kehoe K, Jayakumar N, Mohamed B, Baxter N, Mitchell P, Ross N, Jenkins A, Cowie C, Nicholson C, Coulter I. Neonatal post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus: A 20-year institutional experience. In: Proceedings of the 2022 Autumn Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 37(3). 2023, Bloomsbury, London: Taylor & Francis.
  • Kehoe K, Ferguson L, Pitsika M, Cowie C, Coulter I. Management of Hydrocephalus in Paediatric H3K27-Mutant Diffuse Midline Glioma: A Single Centre Retrospective Review. In: 28th Congress of the European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ESPN) Rome-Italy, 7-10 May 2023. Childs Nerv Syst 39. 2023, Rome, Italy: Springer.
  • Pitsika M, Ferguson L, Kehoe K, Cowie C, Coulter I. Cranial Meningo-encephaloceles: Management, Associated Anomalies and Outcomes. In: 28th Congress of the European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ESPN). 2023, Rome, Italy: Springer.
  • Dobson G, Grundy TJ, Cowie CJA. Shared parental leave — the views and experience of UK neurosurgical trainees. In: 2021 Society of British Neurological Surgeons Autumn Meeting. 2021, Dundee: Taylor & Francis.
  • Pitsika M, Cowie CJA. Ventricular volume change following resective surgery in children with hydrocephalus secondary to posterior fossa tumours. In: 27th Congress of the European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery. Childs Nerv Syst 36. 2020, Springer.
  • Pitsika M, Fletcher J, Cowie CJA. Validation of a Predictive Scoring System for the development of hydrocephalus following surgical resection of posterior fossa tumours in children. In: 27th Congress of the European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery. Childs Nerv Syst 36. 2020, Springer.
  • Pitsika M, Fletcher J, Cowie CJA. Management of acute hydrocephalus secondary to posterior fossa tumour in the paediatric population. In: 27th Congress of the European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery. Childs Nerv Syst 36. 2020, Springer.
  • Nolan G, Leith A, Cowie C. Post-operative neurosurgical head CT requests: A full cycle audit. In: Association of Surgeons in Training 2018 Conference, International Journal of Surgery, 55 (Supplement 1). 2018, Elsevier.
  • Cunningham MO, Chatterjee K, Nangal V, da Silva AB, Major O, Holliman D, Nicholson C, Crossman J, Scofield IS, Whittaker RG, Cowie CJ, Jenkins A. Use of perampanel in brain tumour related epilepsy: evidence from ex vivo studies in human peritumoural neocortex. In: Proceedings of the 2016 Spring Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 30(2). 2016, Taylor & Francis.
  • Jayasekera BAJ, Hans J, Au Yeung J, Chan F, Jenkins A, Nicholson C, Cowie CJ, Cunningham MO. A role for extracellular glutamate in epileptogenesis in peritumoural tissue: in vitro human studies. In: Proceedings of the 2016 Spring Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 30(2). 2016, Taylor & Francis.
  • Cowie C, Dobson G, Jenkins A, Nicholson C, Mitchell P. Quantification of radiation exposure in children with ventriculo-peritoneal shunts. In: 24th Congress of the European Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ESPN) Rome-Italy, 4-7 May 2014. Childs Nerv Syst 30. 2014, Springer.
  • Boukas A, Cowie C, Patch J, Nicholson C. Improving safety in steroids prescribing in a large neurosurgical unit: experience from an audit. In: Proceedings of the 2014 Spring Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 28(2). 2014, Taylor & Francis.
  • Pesic-Smith JD, Gregson BA, Cowie CJA, Sunderland G, Nissen JJ. Does emergency neurosurgery require an on-site consultant? Is mortality higher at weekends?. In: Proceedings of the 2014 Spring Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 28(2). 2014, Taylor & Francis.
  • Dobson G, Cowie CJ. CT scan exposure in children with VP shunts. In: Proceedings of the 2014 Spring Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 28(2). 2014, Taylor & Francis.
  • Boukas A, Cowie C, Mukerji N, Jenkins A, Nicholson C. Ageism in neurosurgery: outcomes of emergency admissions of the over 80s in a neurosurgery unit. In: Proceedings of the 2013 Spring meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 27(3). 2013, Taylor & Francis.
  • Cowie C, Dalton A, Nath F. Stereotactic radiosurgery and the natural history of acoustic neuroma. In: Proceedings of the 2012 Spring meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons. 2012, Aberdeen: Informa Healthcare.
  • Cowie CJA, Aribisala BS, He J, Peel A, Wood J, Mendelow AD, Mitchell P, Blamire AM. DTI findings in normal appearing grey and white matter correlate with deficits in cognitive function after mild and moderate traumatic brain injury. In: Proceedings of the 2012 Spring meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons. 2012, Aberdeen: Informa Healthcare.
  • Cowie CJA, Aribisala BS, He J, Wood J, Mendelow AD, Mitchell P, Blamire AM. Quantitative MRI reveals abnormalities in normal appearing white 10.3109/02688691003680382matter following mild head injury. In: Proceedings of the 155th meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 24(2). 2010, Taylor & Francis.
  • Aribisala B, Cowie C, He J, Wood J, Mendelow A, Mitchell P, Blamire A. Multi-parametric classification of traumatic brain injury patients using automatic analysis of quantitative MRI scans. In: Medical Imaging and Augmented Reality: 5th International Workshop (MIAR). 2010, Beijing, China: Springer.
  • Aribisala BS, Cowie CJA, He J, Wood J, Mendelow AD, Mitchell P, Blamire A. Detection of tissue changes in traumatic brain injury patients using automated regional analysis of quantitative MR scans. In: International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Annual Meeting. 2010, Stockholm, Sweden.
  • Cowie CJA, Aribisala BS, He J, Wood J, Mendelow AD, Mitchell P, Blamire AM. Detection of abnormalities in normal appearing white matter after mild traumatic brain injury. In: Proceedings of the British Neurosurgical Research Group annual meeting held in Winchester, March 2010 hosted by Southampton, British Journal of Neurosurgery 24(3). 2010, Southampton: Taylor & Francis.
  • Barrett C, Cowie CJA, Nissen JJ. Is Halo and vest immobilisation an effective treatment for cervical spine fracture in the elderly?. In: Proceedings of the 153rd Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 23(2). 2009, Taylor & Francis.
  • Cowie CJA, Jenkins A. Transcranial sagittal sinus cannulation as a means of venous access for embolisation of an intra-cranial dural arteriovenous fistula. In: Proceedings of the 151 Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 22(2). 2008, Taylor & Francis.
  • Tzerakis N, Nicholson C, Cowie C, Jenkins A. Evolution of a surgical strategy for craniopharyngioma over a 15 year period. In: Proceedings of the 151 Meeting of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons, British Journal of Neurosurgery 22(2). 2008, Taylor & Francis.

• Letters

  • Carruthers V, Hill RM, Coulter IC, Cowie CJA, Halliday G, Bailey S. Perioperative corticosteroid use in paediatric neuro-oncology. Child's Nervous System 2021, 37, 3669-3671.
  • Cowie CJA, Ellenbogen JR. Neurosurgeon or spinal surgeon – who should treat cauda equina syndrome?. British Journal of Neurosurgery 2017, 31(3), 289-289.
  • Cowie CJA. European Working Time Directive may contribute to fatigue. BMJ 2013, 347, f5360.
  • Kolias AG, Cowie CJ, Tarnaris A, Hutchinson PJ, Brennan PM. Ensuring a bright future for clinical research in surgery with trainee led research networks. BMJ 2013, 347, f5225.
  • Cowie CJA. EFFECTS OF FATIGUE IN DOCTORS European Working Time Directive may contribute to fatigue. BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL 2013, 347.
  • Kolias AG, Cowie CJA, Tarnaris A, Hutchinson PJ, Brennan PM. Proposal for a British neurosurgical trainee research collaborative. British Journal of Neurosurgery 2012, 26(3), 434-435.
  • Cowie CJA, Strachan RD. Ultrasound preferred as the immediate preoperative investigation before three-pin rigid fixation. Child's Nervous System 2011, 27(9), 1365-1366.